Mavrakis House

An excellent example of the late Neoclassicism is the building known as «Mavraki House», property of the «Alpha Bank». It was probably erected in the second decade of the 20th century in the neighbourhood Retzep Agha no. 167 street, which a little later was called Sfakion street.

The first owner Zaharias Ieronymakis bequested it in 1921 to his son Heraklis Ieronymakis who sold it to Emmanouil Pantelakis. He in turn gave it as a dowry at his daughter to the lawyer S.Mavraki in 1948.

The building has all the characteristics of the later Neoclassicism. The formation of the main facades is strictly symmetrical.

The main architectural element, which is unique for Heraklion, is the dome like wooden structure of the building. Structures like these, called «Belvedere», were very usual in north Europe.

While they were often used in city centres of central and north Greece (Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras) and in luxurious suburbs as Kifissia, they were however rarely found in southern Greece and in the islands.